TLH2: Royal Comeback (Completed) #Wattys2016

TLH2: Chapter 24

Napa-iwas ako ng tingin. Hiding the pain that I'm feeling.

"E-Eunica.. H-How? W-What are you doing in here?"

Her eyes are red. "I.. I followed you, I'm sorry I was just... I was just curious. I didn't mean to hear everyth--"

I pulled her into my arms and hugged her tight and buried my face on her shoulders. Alam ko nagulat siya sa ginawa ko but I can't help it. I feel like I'm breaking and all I need is her.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry I doubted you, baby. I'm sorry I didn't get the chance to know the truth. I was so lost when you left kaya napaniwala nila ako agad. I'm so sorry. I was a useless person. I'm sorry I left you for Chicago, dapat isinama nalang talaga kita. I'm so sorry I've ruined everything about us. This is all my fault."

Wala na akong pakialam kung may makakita man sa amin na ganito ako. I just couldn't take everything I've known this day. Bakit kasi ang tanga-tanga ko? Bakit napaniwala nila ako agad? Ngayon ay nagsisisi ako sa mga ginawa ko. Kung hindi ko iniwan ni Eunica noon, hindi kami magkakaganito. I felt her arms around my back and caressed it.

"Ssshh...It's not all your fault, Ivan. May kasalanan din ako. Hindi ako naging matatag at nagtiwala sa'yo. I'm sorry."

Humigpit ang pagkakayakap ko sa kanya and we both cried in each other's arms.

"Here." I grabbed the bottle of water from Eunica and fill in my body with it. We're here at the garden of the hospital. I looked at the sky, it's clear blue and the sun is shining warmly. It's not too hot and it's not too cold. The weather is just fine, the wind is cool, the flowers are blending with the air and it helps to make myself calm.

"It's refreshing, isn't it?" I looked at Eunica whose sitting beside me. She looked at me for a second and looked back at the view.

I followed what she's looking and let out a deep breathe. Inhaling the fresh air and releasing the bad toxins in my body. "Yeah.."

"Nu'ng nasa London pa ako, every time the painful memories keeps on coming back to me and when the tears started to stream down my face, I stand on my feet and they always bring me to a garden. And then it makes me calm. After all the crying and being at a place like this, gumiginhawa ang pakiramdam ko. Gumagaan at nababawasan 'yung dinadala ko noon. And from then on, the place I want to be every time I'm feeling down or sad, sa garden mo lang ako mahahanap."

"Is that the reason why you lead me here?"

"Effective naman 'di ba?" She said and gave me her sweetest smile. Lalong gumaan ang pakiramdam ko. Seeing her smile is one of the most precious thing in the world for me.

Naalala ko nanaman 'yung dahilan kung bakit kami napunta dito. My smile disappeared and I held her hand. Agad naman napatingin si Eunica sa akin.

"About earlier.." Eunica just stared at me. Probably waiting for the next words I will say. "Was it all true? Did my parents abused you? Sinaktan ka ba nila?"

Umiwas ito ng tingin. "Please, Eunica tell me."

She took a deep breathe before looking directly to my eyes. "Yes. Everything they told you was true."

It feels like a blade slashed my heart. "Why didn't you tell me? I could've been there for you. I could've come back home"

"A-Ayoko lang na mag-alala ka sa akin. At ayokong isipin nila na nagsusumbong ako sa'yo. Ayokong magalit ka sa mga magulang mo, Ivan."

"But what they did was wrong! Kahit na pabali-baliktarin mo ang mundo, mali pa din ang ginawa nila! You're my wife, but they never treated you like one. Do you know how much it pains me knowing this now after so many years had passed?"